Venturing Off the Map and Into the Woods…

Venturing Off the Map and Into the Woods…

As part of Penzance Litfest’s Uncharted Waters events, pupils from Trythall school ventured off the map and into the wilds of Trevaylor woods to explore nature, poems and stories. There they encountered characters from folktales, learnt how to use their senses to navigate their way in their uncharted surroundings, and met some unusual characters and creatures of their own along the way…

Trythall’s Class 2 learnt about the art of stalking, looking, listening and how to sharpen their senses with Forest School mentor Jon Levine. And they heard a telling of a tale that had travelled from the desert plains of America to the Cornish moors and woods, with local writer Lucy Cooper. Inspired by the story’s main character, Ben Eskern, who uses her animal-like senses to scour the Cornish landscape collecting the bones of animals to bring them back to life, the children created their own imaginative, weird and wonderful characters.

Next time you venture into Trevaylor woods, keep your eyes and ears peeled for a colourful cast of characters including…

Starla – a tree-dwelling servant who loves making things, smells of lemon and tastes of hazelnut pie.

Dr Stench – he’s as white as smoke, so he might be difficult to spot, but more than likely you’ll hear him; his voice is like a door slamming.

Oola – a shell collector who lives under the sea with a voice like a stream.

Ruben – this ruby collector is quite a sight to behold, he dresses in fox fur tops and feathered trousers and sings electric guitar songs.

Morwenna – a collector of treasures of the beach who lives in a hut on the coast, and has a voice like a soft breeze.

Ender – a jewel-collector with a voice like an angel who lives in an underground den in The End and always carries her Ender sword.

Sea Viper – a shark-tooth collector, who lives on the Great Barrier Reef, with a voice like a thunderstorm.

Fashion Skeleton – lives in a sweet shop, is 16,721,867 years old, and smells of cookies baking in the oven.

Meeowser – a star-collector who looks like a cat with the voice of a fox. You might catch a glimpse of her twinkling diamond shoes.

The Orange-footed Jumble Bug – you’ll hear him coming, he’s the one singing the Jumble Bug song, with a voice like a chicken!

Well done to Class 2 for venturing into the woods, navigating the uncharted realms of folktales and storyworlds, and bringing back reports of some of the strange and beguiling characters they glimpsed there.